Ventilating apparatus with heat exchanger



April 7, 1953. F. J. KURTH 2,634,107

VENTILATING APPARATUS WITH HEAT EXCHANGER Filed Nov. 5. 1949 2SHEETS-SHEET 1 April 7, 1953 JFKURTH 2,634,

VENTILAT'ING, APP RATUS WITH HEAT EXCHANGER Filed Nov. s.. 1949 2SHEETS-SHEET 2 aw /HM Patented Apr. 7, 1953 VENTILATING APPARATUS WITHHEAT EXCHANGEB Franz J. Kurth, Mamaroneck, N. Y., assignor to AnemostatCorporation of America, New York, N. Y., a corporation of DelawareApplication November 3, 1949,Serial No. 125,225

This invention relates to apparatus for supplying air to enclosures,such as truck cabs,'passenger automobiles, airplane cabins and the like,either in unheated condition for ventilating or cooling purposes, or inheated condition for heatin Windshield defrosting or other purposes, andhas for its general object to provide for such purposes a simple,practical, compact apparatus which may be produced economically, whichis highly efficient in operation and which includes a novel air heatingand by-pass unit having a novel combination and arrangement of valveelements whereby the supply of either unheated air for ventilating orcooling purposes, or of heated air for heating, windshield defrosting orother purposes, may readily be regulated.

With the foregoing and other more specific objects iri'view, which willbecome apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, thesame consists in an apparatus for the purposes stated which embodies thenovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts asare illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings and aswill be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters "of referencedenote corresponding parts inthe different views:

Fig. l is a fragmentary longitudinal section through a portion ofa motorvehicle showing the present apparatus operatively mounted therein.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation, partly in section, of the structure shown inFig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a central, longitudinal section through the airheating and by-pass unit of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A designates, generally, a portionof a motor vehicle and B designates, generally, an apparatus constructedin accordance with one practical embodiment of the invention andoperatively mounted in the vehicle A.

. Thevehicle A includes, as usual, an instrument panel It, a windshieldI I, a cowl I2 having therein heating and by-pass unit, designatedgenerally as I6, which, accordance with the invention, is

4 Claims. (01. 257-137) 2 I q composed primarily of a pair of open-endedtubular members I1 and I8 thelatter of which is disposed within andspaced from the former. Thus, the space within the inner tubular memberI8 constitutes an inner or central air passageway 1) extendinglongitudinally through the unit l6, while the space between said tubularmembers constitutes a second or outer, annular air passageway c,separate and distinct from the passageway b, likewise extendinglongitudinally through said unit It. I

In the outer or annular air passageway c is disposed a suitable meansfor heating air flowing through said passageway. In this connection andas illustrated by way of example in Fig. 3 of the drawings, said airheating means may appropriately comprise a helically wound tube I9provided at points suitably spaced apart along its length with numerousheat radiating flanges 20. Thus, by circulating a hot fluid through thetube I9, the latter and its flanges 20 will be heated and will serveeffectively to heat air flowing through the passageway 0 over said tubeand between said flanges.

To control flow of air through the inner or central passageway b, thetubular member I8 is provided, interiorly thereof, with suitable valvemeans such, for example, as a damper 2|, while to regulate flow'of airfrom the outlet ends of both of the passageways b and c, the unit I6 isprovided at its outlet end with a plurality of pivoted, manuallyadjustable shutters 22.

The ends of the tube I9 extend through the outer tubular member I! forconnection with a suitable source of hot fluid, while in said tube isinterposed, at a suitable point, a valve 23 of any suitable type,illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, by means of whichflow of hot fluid through said tube may be controlled. Disposedexteriorly of the outer member I"? is a suitable handle 24 by means ofwhich the valve 23 may be opened and closed.v Also disposed exteriorlyof the outer member I'I, preferably adjacent to the handle 24, isanother handle 25 by means 'of which the damper 2| may be opened andclosed. 1

In the air inlet end portion of the unit I6 is suitably mounted a fan26, preferably of the axial flow type, which includes a driving motor 21and which, in operation, is effective to draw air into the inlet endportion or said unit and to direct it into both of the passageways b andc.

Adjacent to the air outlet end of the unit I6, the outer tubular memberl'l isprovided with an air outletopening 2a,.

While the apparatus B may be mounted in any suitable manner at anysuitable point in the vehicle A with the unit l6 disposed in anysuitable manner, said apparatus preferably is mounted by means ofsuitable brackets 29 beneath the cowl l2 with the unit l6 disposed at asuitable downward and rearward'inclination and with its upper and lowerends constituting its air inlet and air outlet ends, respectively. Inany event, the upper or air inlet end of the unit i6 is connected to theair inlet opening a in the cowl l2 by a suitable duct 30 so that onlyoutside air is supplied to said unit. Moreover, the ends of the tube [9are connected to the water jacket of the vehicle engine (not shown) atsuitable points-so that the engine cooling liquid will circulate throughsaid tube and serve to heat the same and its flanges .20 when the valve23 is open. Furthermore, the air 7 outlet opening 28 in the outertubular member I! is connected by a suitable duct 3| to a suitablenozzle 32 which is mounted on the instrument'panel H) or at any suitablepoint .so as to direct air flowing from said nozzle over the windshield:H.

Journaled in the duct 30 isa shaft 33 on which is an arm -34 which isconnected by a link 35 with the cover it whereby partial rotation ofsaid shaft is efiective to-open or close said cover, while suitablymounted on the unit it is a lever 36 which is connected by a link 31with a second arm 38 on said shaft 33 whereby swinging movement of saidlever "36 is effective to rotate said shaft. Thus, by means of the lever38, the cover [3 may be opened and closed at will to permit more orlessoutside air toflow through the opening a to the unit 16.

If it is desired to supply outside, unheated air to the vehicle A forventilating or cooling purposes, the valve :23 is closed to prevent hotfluid from circulating through the tube is; thecover I3 is opened adesired amount; the damper 2| is opened; the fan 26 may or may not beoperated, depending upon whether the vehicle is under way and whether,due to its advance, the desired amount of air is deflected through theunit 16 by the cover I3, and the shutters 2-2 are more or less opened toregulate the amount of air passing through both of the passageways b andc in the unit it into the vehicle A.

If it is desired to supply warm air to the vehicle A for heatingpurposes, the valve 23 is opened to permitcirculation of hot fluidthrough the tube 59; the damper 2| is closed, to prevent flow of airthrough the inner passageway b so that all air flowing through the unit16 is re-. quired to pass through the passageway c; the fan 26 is or isnot operated. depending upon whether the vehicle is under way andwhether due to its advance, the desired amount of air is deflectedthrough the unit 16 by the cover l3, and the shutters 22 are more orless opened to regulate the amount of air passing through the passagewayinto the vehicle. In this connection it will be observed that the loweror air outlet end of the inner tubular member I8 is spaced upwardly orinwardly from the air outlet end of the outer tubular member I] topermit air flowing through the passageway c to be discharged from theunit H substantially throughout the area of the outletend thereof. The'air flowing through the passageway c is, of course, heated by itscontact with the tube l9 and the flanges and, when discharged into thevehicle A, serves, of course, to heat the latter.

If it is desired to supply heated air to the nozzle 32 to be directed bysaid nozzle over the windshield II for purposes of defrosting or deicingthe latter, the damper 2| is closed to prevent flow of air through theinner passageway b so that all air flowing through the unit It isrequired to pass through the passageway c; the valve 23 is opened topermit circulation of hot fluid through the tube 19.; the fan 26 is oris not operated, depending upon whether the vehicle is under way andwhether due to its advance, the desired amount of air is deflectedthrough the unit 16 by the cover !3, and the shutters 22 are closed sothat air flowing through the passageway c is required to flow throughthe duct 3| to the nozzle The air in flowing through the passageway cis, of course, heated by contact with the tube l9 and the flanges 20 andis directed over the windshield l i by the nozzle 32 whereby thewindshield is defrosted or deiced.

As will be understood, the damper 2| and the shutters 22 may be adjustednot only to regulate the total amount of air flowing through the unit,but to regulate the proportions of the said total amount of air whichflow through the passageways b and 0, respectively, whereby the vehicleA may be supplied with any desired amount of air at any desiredtemperature.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings it is believed that the construction and operationof the present apparatus will be clearly understood and that itsadvantages will be appreciated. It is desired to point out, however,that while only a single, specific structural embodiment of theinvention has been illustrated and described, the same is readilycapable of specifically different structural embodiments within itsspirit and scope as defined in the appended claims.

I-claim:

1. In apparatus of the character described, .an air heating and by-passunit comprising a pair of tubular members one of which is disposedwithin and spaced from the other and each of which is open at the rearend of the unit for inlet of air thereto and open at the front end ofthe unit for outlet of air therefrom, air heating means in the spacebetween said members, a damper in the inner of said members forregulating flow of air therethrough, a pair of shutters adjacent to thefront end of the inner of said members pivoted on axes-extending atsubstantially right angles to the longitudinal axes of said members forregulating in major amount flow from said inner member of all airpassing through the latter, a pair of shutters located at oppositesides, respectively, of said [first mentioned shutters adjacent to thefront end of the space between said members and in alinement with saidspace and also pivoted on axes extending at substantially right anglesto the longitudinal axes of said members for regulating inmajor amountflow from said space of all air passing through said space, and a duct:leading laterally from said space at a point rearwardly of saidshutters.

2. In apparatus of the character described, an air heatingand by-passunit-comprising a pair of tubular members one of which is disposedwithin and spaced from the other and each of which is open at one endofthe unit for inletof air thereto and open at the other end of the unitfor outlet of air therefrom, air heating means in the space between saidmembers, valve means for regulating flow of air through said innermember so as to cause desired proportions of the total amount of airdelivered through said members,

to flow through said inner member and through 3. In apparatus of thecharacter described, an

air heating and by-pass unit comprising a pair of tubular members one ofwhich is disposed within and spaced from the other and each of which isopen at the rear end of the unit for inlet of air thereto and open atthe front end of the unit for outlet of air therefrom, air heating meansin the space between said members, valve]v means forregulating flow ofair through said inner member so as to cause desired proportions of thetotal amount of air delivered through said members to flow through saidinner member and through the space between said members, other valvemeans independent of each other at the front ends of said members one inmajor part alined with said inner member for regulating in major amountflow from said inner member of all air passing through the latter andthe other in major part alined with said space for regulating in majoramount flow from said space of all air passing through said space, and aduct leading from the space between said members at a point rearwardlyof said second mentioned valve means, whereby regulation of said secondmentioned valve means regulates flow of air from said space through saidduct. I

4. In apparatus of the character described, a air heating and by-passunit comprising a pair of tubular members one of which is disposedwithin and spaced from the other and each of which is open at the rearend of the unit for inlet of air thereto and open at the front end ofthe unit for outlet of air therefrom; air heating means in the spacebetween said members, a damper in said inner member for regulating flowof air through said inner member so as to cause desired proportions ofthe total amount of air delivered through said members to flow throughsaid inner member and through the space between said members, othervalve means independent of each other at the front ends of said membersone in major part alined with said inner member for regulating in majoramount flow from said inner member of all air passing through the latterand the other in major part alined with said space for regulating inmajor amount flow from said space of all air passing through said space,and a duct leading from the space between said members at a pointrearwardly of said second mentioned valve means, wherebyregulation ofsaid second mentioned valve means regulates fiow of air from said spacethrough said duct, the front ends of said inner member and said spacebeing in communication with each other when said valve means are closed.

FRANZ J. KURTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,150,505 Hunicke Mar. 14, 19392,197,172 Aufiero Apr. 16, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date529,827 Great Britain Nov. 28, 1940

